Ukyo: Okonomiyaki is not Enough!
by Ambezua
Summary: Ukyo, determined to win Ranma for herself and prove her femininity, decides to take a different approach to Ranma... One that may very well place them all in danger from the Okonomiyaki chief... Who will have the last say: Ukyo, Akane... or Shampoo?
1. Dancing all Alone

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ranma 1/2... If I did, I would have changed a few things ^_^

From the author that brought you "I Really Mist You," "Sub Zero," and "Misty, May, and I" is a new collection of stories based on my favorite Anime series of all time! Ranma 1/2... Ambezua presents to you: "The Ranma Chronicles!" Those of you who are Ranma 1/2 fans all know where the story last left off... A postponed wedding and a host of suitors to deal with, what's Ranma to do? Thankfully, I'm here to give him (and perhaps you, the fans) some closure to this wonderful story. So, without further ado... ^_^ This is the first story in the series,"Ukyo: Okonomiyaki is not Enough"... Enjoy!

Theme song: Dancing all Alone (in my Kimono)

Ukyo: Okonomiyaki is not Enough!

by Ambezua

edited by Gelidus

Ukyo, determined to win Ranma for herself and prove her femininity, decides to take a different approach to Ranma... One that may very well place them all in danger from the Okonomiyaki chief... Who will have the last say: Ukyo, Akane... or Shampoo?

Chapter 1: Dancing all Alone

---

A dull silence filled the streets of Nermia as a lone figure stood beside a small street shop. A single drop of water hung from the overhanging sun-shade and glistened in the early morning sun, before falling and landing onto the young woman's shoulder. Her eyes were turned toward the rising sun, but her mind was elsewhere, contemplating the tragic tale of her life and of the one young man who had stolen her heart yet had showed no inclination of returning her affections.

She was Ukyo Kuonji, previously known as Ranma Satome's cute fiance, but currently she felt as insignificant and unloved as the drop of dew which had just landed on her shoulder and sensed to exist without so much as a thought. She briefly considered forgetting the present, and losing herself in the happy past the two of them had shared as friends... Perhaps all she could ever hope to be to him.

---

A rustle and the patter of small, sandaled feet: the sounds of two young children without a care in the world busily at their everyday game of "Play Fighting." In an almost ritualistic regularity, the six-year-old Ranma Satome would manage to both outwit and outmaneuver his equally aggressive and unknowingly female play companion, Ukyo Kuonji. As the older Ukyo considered the younger, she could still recall the playful banter she and "Ranchan" would engage in as they played.

"You can't hide forever, Ranchan... I will find you..." the young Ukyo peered through a small shrub, nearly as thick and tall as she was. The forest was rarely quiet, especially when these two were in the general vicinity, but even so Ukyo felt as if there was something nearby which seemed out of place... and rustling in anticipation. As if perfectly on que, Ranma's distinct giggle reached Ukyo's ear, resulting in quick and swift punishment from the small girl.

"Ha, found you!" Ukyo dove over a small stump and into Ranma's hiding spot. Her small arms clutched around his waist as she tried in vain to pin him down.

"Ucchan, s-stop t-that!" Ranma giggled, reaching down and tickling her sides as he had done many times before. Unable to contain herself, Ukyo submitted to his extremely effective tactics and released her grip. With one of his signature grins of triumph, the small boy once again vanished into the sparse undergrowth of the forest.

"No fair, Ranchan... Get back here!" Ukyo cried out, giving pursuit to her playmate as quickly as her legs could carry her.

---

"Oh Ranma..." the older Ukyo sighed, recalling quite clearly how captivating his smile was, even if others considered it a cheesy grin at best. Ranma meant so much to her, and it perplexed her to know how little she seemed to mean to him in comparison

"Ranma... Why don't you love me?" Ukyo whispered to herself, before letting her mind wander back to her younger days.

---

"Ranchan! Come back down from there!" Ukyo called up to him, while standing at the base of the tree Ranma had managed to climb up into without any apparent difficulty. It was as if the young boy gained a certain amount of satisfaction from keeping her prize just out reach and any possible danger.

"Hahaha! You can't get me!" Ranma jeered, waving playfully at Ukyo from his lofty perch. Below, his little playmate had begun to lose her patience at his antics. She slowly reached towards her vest and took out her spatula, the one she often used to practice making okonomiyaki with her father. She held it in her right hand, and aimed for her friend, who was currently too busy praising himself on his cleverness to notice. With a quick flick of her wrist, the small tool flew towards Ranma...

"AHH! No fair... You can't throw things!" Ranma deftly jumped to the side as the spatula narrowly missed his side and buried itself half an inch into the bark of the tree.

"I can too..." Ukyo looked back up at him, fully expecting him to surrender himself before she had to throw larger, and possibly sharper, objects at him. Ranma, however, had different ideas...

"Then I'm not coming down, hahaha..." Ranma chuckled to himself, leaping to the safety of another tree before resuming his retreat. Ukyo continued to follow, waving her tiny arms in the air.

"Get back here!" she protested, as the chase continued.

---

"Even all those years ago, he would run and I would chase," Ukyo recalled, "I had no idea, however, that I would continue to chase him for the rest of my life..."

---

"We will be best friends forever, right Ranchan?" Ukyo asked shyly, her small frame shifting in such a way that could be best described as fidgeting.

"Sure, Uchan... Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing..." as the young Ukyo let out a soft sigh, the older one did as well.

---

"Oh Ranchan," Ukyo cried out into the deserted streets, "Is that all I will ever be to you?

Ucchan, your little playmate? What could I have ever done to make things different? What could I have said to have made you mine? Why do you love the one girl in the world who would like nothing better than to see you in pain and misery? Why do you love Akane, and not me?"

Ukyo paused for a moment, and glanced back at her shop, the early morning rays just beginning to penetrate the darkness that filled the room. What did Akane have over her? Looks? Hardly... Ranma himself said she was the cute fiance, as opposed to the uncute one. Temperment? Akane would sooner beat Ranma senseless before he had actually ever said anything remotely worthy of the treatment she dealt out rather than say one kind thing about Ranma. Ukyo even admitted to herself that she had occasional outbursts of irrational violence, but no where near as frequently or unprovoked as Akane's. It most certainly couldn't be Akane's superior household training, for it was the exception rather than the rule when Akane's cooking was even remotely edible, let alone her housekeeping skills being tolerable.

Ukyo shook her head sadly, deciding not to try to determine the reasoning inside Ranma's brain and focus on the reason for her dismay: Akane herself. After all, it's wasn't Ranma's fault, right? Ranma's foolishness was a fact of life, something Ukyo had grown to both accept and even appreciate. On the other hand, the tomboy's mere existence and standing in Ranma's life nearly tore her apart. How she could ever be happy while that ungrateful woman held Ranma's heart in her hands, she could never reason out. One thing in Ukyo's mind become certain at that moment... Akane Tendo would need to be dealt with, and in such a way that would not alienate Ranma's affections from herself any further than they already were.

With a startled jolt, Ukyo looked around herself, suddenly aware of another presence in her shop... A strangely fermiliar feeling having lived in Nermia long enough to almost expect a crazy Amazon, raging Akane, or perverted freak to jump out at her at any moment with little or not forewarning. This morning, however, her visitor had a much more civil request.

"Eh... Ucchan? You there?" a laid-back, slightly irritated voice called out to her. The man standing not two meters away from her was the voice of her mind the spring in her step... the one that held her heart in his very hands. It was none other than Ranma Satome, a practitioner of the famed "Anything Goes Martial Arts" which had somehow managed to gather to himself not one, not two, but three fiancee's. In Ukyo's mind, however, it was not a wonder that he has so many suiters... perhaps it was more a matter of confusion that he seemed to only have interest in one of them, the one fiancee that disliked him the most.

"R-ranma?!" Ukyo had to cover her mouth to keep herself from squealing in delight. In a flash, she stood back behind her grill and smiled at her love as she had done many times before. Today, however, Ranma seemed less patient than usual.

"Um... can I get you something?" Ukyo asked, pleading all that was good in the world that he was not just a figment of her over-active imagination.

"Yeah... One seafood okonomiyaki to-go," Ranma sighed, taking a seat at the deserted bar stools with a casual glance in her direction, "Please."

"S-sure Ranma..." Ukyo hesitated to include her oft-used suffix to her beloved's name, "Honey."

On an ordinary sort of day, Ranma most likely would have made some indication of a mild disagreement with the addition of "Honey" to the end of his name, however, on this particular morning, he had something else to discuss... On a more important and personal level. As Ukyo carefully poured the okonomiyaki batter onto the pre-heated grill, Ranma looked up at her with a rather serious expression on his face.

"Ranma-honey?" Ukyo blinked, a bit startled at his intense glare, if that is what one could call it, "Are you alright?"

"I know your probably wondering why I'm here... To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure myself... but I have something on my mind, and I think your the best one I can talk to on the subject... You listening?" Ranma didn't seem to acknowledge Ukyo's question, and went directly to the point, "Akane sent me into low-earth orbit early this morning... I mean, come on... Could she at least let me talk before she hits me? Ok, that's not really what I want to talk to you about... It's about Akane."

"I know, Ranma Honey... I haven't exactly been the best friend to you lately, and I don't blame you for being upset with me. But believe me when I tell you that I can't believe anyone who hits you as much as she does, Ranma-Honey, could possibly have any feelings for you..."

Ranma nodded, and pointed towards the okonomiyaki on the grill before me. Ukyo had been absent-mindedly flipping it while the two of them talked, but hadn't noticed that it had already been sufficiently cooked several minutes ago.

"Oh, sorry," Ukyo said quickly, placing it onto a plate and handing it to him. He nodded, then spoke the words that she thought he might never say again...

"Thanks, Ucchan... I owe you one..."

Ukyo's mind swam with many different thoughts, her face slightly flushing as she considered some of them briefly before replying, "Don't worry, Ranma... That okonomiyaki is on the house."

Ranma's face almost instantly brightened up as he looked up at Ukyo, "Oh, come on Ukyo... You know that's not what I meant!"

Ukyo giggled, and waved it aside. Perhaps it was not a lost cause after all... If only she played her cards carefully, she might actually have a shot at this. As the two talked, Ukyo couldn't help but feel like she had once again regained a certain amount of trust and confidence from Ranma... Simply from being there when he needed someone to talk to. All too soon, Ranma had finished his breakfast and gave Ukyo slight indications that he needed to leave soon. Taking the hint, Ukyo took the plate from in front of Ranma and gave him a short bow.

"Thanks again," Ranma waved to her before leaving, "For breakfast... and cheering me up."

"Anytime Ranma-Honey," Ukyo waved back, "Anytime..."

As Ranma jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building and bounded away, Ukyo leaned gently against the doorpost of her her once again empty shop. She sighed in anticipation of their next visit, which a feeling deep inside informed her wouldn't be too far in the future.

"Soon, Ranma," Ukyo whispered to herself, "I won't have to stand here in the mornings, and dance all alone in the afternoons... Soon, it will be the two of us standing and watching the sunrise in the afternoons and enjoying the sunset in the afternoons together. Soon..."

Ukyo considered speaking the words, but instead only spoke them in her mind: "Soon, Ranma... I will be the only woman in your life."

****************

Ambezua: I'm sorry, but we have run out of time for now... Please, if you have any questions/comments/suggestions... give us reviews! Until next time...


	2. No More!

Disclaimer: Neither Ambezua, nor Gelidus, nor even Ranma him/herself owns Ranma 1/2... Ukyo Kuonji, on the other hand...

At popular request, I have spent a bit more time and made this next chapter significantly longer than the last. I hope you don't mind the pace at which the story-line is progressing, but I think it's important that I set up the characters in this way since it become vital to understanding the events that are soon to follow. Those of you who are wondering what Ukyo has planned... There are a few clues in this chapter, so pay attention ^_^ Without further ado... I present to you: Ukyo Kuonji!

Chapter 2: Okonomiyaki... No more!

As the last bell rang, and the halls became filled with rushing students, eager to return home for study and personal enjoyment, one out of the group paced rather casually towards the door, his hands held behind his head. Although it would appear to the untrained eye that he took a rather leisurely outlook on life, Ranma Satome was anything but a thoughtless pervert, like many of the other students. He, unlike the others, had good reason to be deeply absorbed in thought... Perhaps a little too much in thought, as he nearly ran into Miss Hinako on his way out the door. Thinking for half a moment that he had nearly run into Akane, Ranma jumped back a few feet, then looked down, quickly correcting his mistake. The short, cute, and comparatively mildly-tempered educator held little in common with his fiery fiancee. With a non-chalant grunt, Ranma noted that Miss Hinako looked as if she desired a few words with the gender-changing martial artist... Although she simply assumed he was a delinquent, and a cross-dressing one at that.

"Hold it right there, Ranma Satome!" Furinkan High's miniature teacher held out the palm of her right hand towards the student in question, her brow slightly bent in displeasure, "I have a few things I need to discuss with you!"

"Oh... Sure, Teach," Ranma shrugged, as he had learned that outright denying the demands of the pint-sized teacher only resulted in being immediately drained of Ki without further provocation.

"You have shown inattentiveness during class, your grades are dropping, and you blatantly disregard school rules... Worst of all, you show no intention at all of improving your behavior!" Miss Hinako peeped, waving her arms in the air in a futile attempt to catch Ranma's full attention. He briefly considered merely walking away, not desiring a long and drawn-out discussion on the one hand, nor her usual punishment of draining without delay on the other. Thankfully, an alternative escape presented itself a moment later.

"Fair educator..." a somewhat smooth, and confident tone filled the mouth of Tatewaki Kuno, ofttimes called (by himself, at least) the Blue Thunder as well as the self-declared most puissant soul in all of Furinkan High, "there is no need to fret... allow me, the great Tatewaki Kuno, to strike the villain and punish him severely for his wrongdoings to both the school and to women everywhere... Then, let us date as we see fit without interruption." The self-decived pervert held out his bokken out towards Ranma, as if it signified any measure of threat to him beyond that of a bouquet of roses. Honestly, Ranma was more afraid of Kuno's infamous embrace when in his girl-form than Kuno's sword swipes. With a self-satisfied smirk, Ranma prepared himself to send the kendo master flying through the window, but the blow never fell.

"Happo-twenty-five-yen-satsu," Miss Hinako called out, as Kuno's battle aura was quickly drained and left him limp and helpless on the floor. Poor, deceived fool... Some delusional freaks never manage to escape their own fantasies. The now-adult Miss Hinako looked over at Ranma with an impatient glare, "Any more misbehavior, and I will have to take this up with your father... Personally."

She turned on her heels, and walked back down the now mostly-deserted halls and into her personal office. Ranma glanced down at Kuno's limp form, who called out in a barely audible whisper, "Your touch... My love... My body falls... limp... and helpless before you."

"Sorry Kuno.. But that's not the effect of Miss Hinako's touch," Ranma rolled his eyes and stepped out into the school courtyard.

---

The slow, almost reluctant pace of Akane Tendo, the cause of poor Ranma's suffering, seemed foreign and unfitting to her usual demeanor. "Ranma... You jerk," Akane sighed to herself, silently regretting lashing out so furiously at him that morning due to some perceived, although in actuality non-existant, slight against her. She walked with her head slightly tipped forward, her hands folded together while holding her bag out in front of her as she often did. Hearing a familiar voice around the next corridor, she quickened her pace and stepped out into the hall.

"R-ranma?" she looked up and down the length of the wide, and almost empty, school hallway, but the only clue of Ranma's presence was a rather limp figure that lay on the floor nearby the wall. A bit curious, she took a few steps closer.

"Kuno?" Akane blinked, kneeling next to the flagging form of Tatewaki Kuno, "What happened to you? How many times do you have to get beaten up by Ranma before you learn something." Half feeling sorry for the creep, and half ecstatic that he wouldn't be in any shape to grab at her for a while, Akane stood back up and made her way towards the door, "Serves him right, always chancing after Ranma and I."

Although Akane couldn't hear him, Kuno let out a hoarse, wispy, groan, "Akane... Tendo..."

Looking up into the skyline, Akane could distinctly make out Ranma's form as he sat upon a roof, waiting for her as usual. Sometimes, Akane wondered if he purposely rushed to the door, in order to rest upon his customary perch and check out her profile from a relatively safe distance. The mere thought that the self-labeled pervert was capable of such a ploy slightly irritated her, reminding herself of the many times he had walked in on her when partially, or fully, unclothed.

"Ranma!" Akane yelled up to him, not making any attempt to hide the anger in her voice, "What do you think your doing up there?"

"Duh, I'm waiting to walk you home. I always walk you home, don't I?" Ranma replied casually, with a slight smile. It was meant as a friendly sort of gesture, but Akane, as usual, took it the wrong way.

"Oh, so you think it's funny that I'm always the last one out of school, do you? Well, I have news for you, Ranma! Not everyone skipps out on the last five minutes of class just to beat up on old rivals that aren't even a challenge anymore."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Ranma leapt down, and landed in front of her, his head slightly leaning down in order to get a better look at her face, "I didn't do nothin'."

"Sure you didn't, Ranma," Akane hissed, swinging her bag at his head which he rather easily dodged, "Why do you always have to be the best at everything? Why do you have to rub it in everyone's faces that your better than them? Do you have any idea how that makes people feel?"

"Whoa, slow down, Akane" Ranma raised up his hands in protest, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you should know that I don't just go around school picking fights."

"Alright, fine," Akane turned her back to him and began walking down the sidewalk without him, "Stay in denail... I don't want to have anything to do with you! I will walk myself home today, thank you!"

"Gee," Ranma's shoulders slightly sagged as he watched the object of this love walk away from him, "I wonder what got her so upset this time."

---

With a swift skip and a bound, Ranma Satome leapt to the top of the first row of houses leading away from Furinkan High... His personal prison compound for the last few hours. The early morning sun cast long shadows across the pavement, it in a patch-work of dark sections sliced through with blades of light. It was not just the school itself, however, Nermia had become a prison to Ranma, one which bound him to make impossible choices on nearly a daily basis. Nermia had not always been a prison to Ranma, though... The first day he had stepped into Nermia, he had held out a meagre hope that yet some silver lining could be found in his fate. Sure, his father had literally packed him up and brought him to the Tendo's front doorstep, but the moment he was presented with the three Tendo girls, to choose whichever one he so desired... A strange sort of feeling overtook him, one that he had never felt before. It was as if... He had finally come home from a long and rigorous journey, one which he had never actually remembered beginning. It was as if... He had finally come home... He even began to feel as if things just might work out... Perhaps Pops wasn't such a poor father after all.

Ranma, not desiring another confrontation with his violent fiancee, decided it would be best if he were to simply let her cool down a bit before dinner. he jumped up to the second story of the Tendo residence, and climbed through his bedroom window which he had left open just prior to being sent skyward by Akane that very morning.

"Hi, my name is Akane... Do you want to be friends?" Ranma visibly flinched at the memory that had sprung up into his mind, as if of itself... Although it may have appeared to the rest of the Tendo household, perhaps even Ranma himself at the time, as a insignificant gesture at best, it had given Ranma hope... A hope he had never held before. It was first time since he had fallen into the cursed spring that he had held hope that someone, anyone, would accept him for who he was... Or, rather, what he had become. In all of his life, he had truly only hoped for one thing: Love, that's all. Not the love that a parent could give to his child, or even the love that friends shared mutually. The type of love that Ranma hoped for was the true, pure, romantic love that constantly seemed to elude him. Over the next few weeks, however, that one glimmer of hope grew frighteningly dim with each succeeding insult and injury he had endured from Akane Tendo. "Ranma... your such a pervert! You Jerk! You Freak! Idiot! You thoughtless dolt! I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!" the pain that welled up in Ranma's heart grew to the point at which he could almost bear it no longer... Nermia was the prison, and Akane Tendo was his personal scourge. Each spiteful word bit into him and tore his flesh like daggers. Did she have any idea of how her words hurt him? Did she even hear herself when she poke such spiteful words?

"Akane... Do you hate me? Is it because of the curse?" the curse had been a thorn in Ranma's side for quite a while now, but the prospect that Akane may, in fact, hold no feelings for him at all dug yet a deeper hole into his heart than the curse ever could. The curse merely served as an affront to his manliness, and his pride. Given the benefits he had learned to glean from his curse, perhaps it didn't even effect him that much anymore. Akane's spite, on the other hand, cut him more deeply each day since their canceled wedding.

"I used to think so... You did tell me that the curse didn't mean anything to you anymore, and that you... Liked me the way I was," Ranma whispered to himself. He thought back on all the many times he had come to Akane's aid of stood up for her honor. Sure, even he admitted to himself that he had more than a slight rough edge at times, but couldn't she at least be a bit more understanding? The more he thought about it, the more perplexed he became...

"I can't believe anyone who hits you as much as she does, Ranma-Honey, could possibly have any feelings for you..." Ukyo's words began to replay in his mind, mixing with his own in such a harmonious fashion that he nearly forgot that they were, in fact, Ukyo's and not his own. At the moment, it made little difference.

"How can I even trust what you say? How do I know that... that all you have ever told me, all that I thought I had seen in you.. How do I know that it's not all just a lie? A lie so that you can keep pulling me around for your own personal gratification? Sure... I know for certain that your a possessive little tomboy, but does that imply that you have any feelings for me at all? I mean... Isn't it possible that you could just be doing it so that you will keep everyone else away from me, even though you don't want me yourself? Why do you have to be so selfish all the time, darn you! I have feelings, wants, and dreams too, ya know!" Ranma slammed his right fist into the floor, in an effort to maintain control over his emotions. If he had failed it may have very well resulted in severe embarrassment, but also a rather rigorous renovation project in the aftermath of a severe Ranma mental break-down. Some could have argued that he was destructive enough as he was...

Given the situation Ranma Satome found himself in, anyone would have been more than a little disgruntled. He had, under several distinct not-so-ordinary circumstances, been legally engaged to three different fiancees... He only doubted the affections of one of them... Which also turned out to be the only one of the bunch he had himself fallen for.

"Strange thing, fate is," Ranma sighed, hoping that those downstairs had not noticed his sudden outburst, "Just when you think things are finally going your way.. SMACK, fate kicks you in your face and leaves you wondering what the heck just happened... I have been such a fool... Why did I fall for Akane, of all people?"

Once again, nothing seemed to make any sense in Ranma's mind, especially over THAT particular matter... Perhaps that, too, was the fault of cruel fate. Why hadn't he fallen for someone more kind, and gentle... Why not Ukyo? Ukyo... That was a novel idea... What did Akane have over Ukyo, other than the fact that she already held a sole monopoly on Ranma's heart.

"Ukyo's a good friend... Other than being a bit obsessive over her affections at times, even to the point of attempting to dispose of other possible rivals for my affections, she really isn't that bad of a person in general. She knows how to cook, and she doesn't kick me around like Akane does on a regular basis..." Ranma thought over the idea briefly, "I do care about her, but only as a friend... Heck, it hasn't been until relatively recently that I have even known she is a girl!"

Interrupting Ranma's train of thought, a series of strong, aggressive steps pounded up the stairs and found their way towards Ranma's room. He stepped back, and raised up his arms in front of his face in a feeble attempt at defense against his fiancee's unpredictable temper. "Now what did I do to tick her off," Ranma briefly wondered, before reminding himself that she really didn't need a reason. She slammed open the sliding door, and yelled into the interior of the room with a tone that cause the house to slightly shutter.

"RANMA!" Akane growled, clearly upset about some slight she perceived had in some way been related to her dismayed promised husband, "Supper's ready, so if you want to get anything to eat tonight, or for the rest of the week for that matter, show some respect and come down!" With that, Akane slammed the door shut and stomped back out of the room.

"Alright, I'm comin'..." Ranma sighed, glad that she had simply delivered the message yet still feeling more than a little impatient with her constant bullying. He stood up and crossed his arms, after exiting his room, "She doesn't have to be so uncute all the time, but I suppose it is her own business how she acts, but everyone else has to live with her. She can be such a pain-" A moment later, Ranma's head impacted the wooden staircase.

"WHOSE being a pain?" Akane hissed, her mallet still resting on Ranma's head which she had firmly planted into the stairwell, "Jerk..."

---

As Ranma took his place at the table, he idly noted the calm, collected, and almost routine behavior of those already seated. Soun Tendo sat at the far end, calmly chop-stick fighting over the few remaining pickles against Genma and Happosai. Akane was still fuming about something, and would cast death glares at Ranma periodically from her position, which he decided to simply ignore. Nabiki sat in her usual position, holding out her abacus and counting out her accumulated profits so far that week while idly accepting a bowl of rice from Kasumi. Another typical day in the Tendo residence...

"How was school today, Ranma?" Kasumi smiled at her sister's fiance while handing him a bowl of rice. Almost the polar opposite of Akane, her sister Kasumi always seemed to be in a bright mood. She never hit anyone, and most of all, she seemed to understand people very well.

"Eh, it was fine. No-one decided to try and ambush me today," Ranma shrugged, taking the bowl of rice with a slight nod before beginning to quickly shovel it into his mouth. Given that this was Ranma's usual sort of behavior, Kasumi didn't seem to mind.

"That's nice," Kasumi turned towards Akane, "How was your day, Akane?"

"Just peachy," Akane said sourly, picking up the bowl of rice in front of her and following Ranma's example.

"If your already upset with Ranma, wait until you here this," Nabiki's face curved into what Ranma highly suspected was a smirk, "Early this morning, while I was minding my own business, I spotted Ranma over at Ukyo's shop. Don't worry, Akane. They were just talking. At least... That's all I _saw_ them doing."

Ranma could feel the anger and jealousy begin to mature, and he quickly spoke up, "Nabiki! What were YOU doing out so early in the morning?"

"Why, tennis practice of course. You DO remember that my time on the court is quite early, don't you?" Nabiki replied, with a slight shrug, "Anyway, I could just as easily ask you what you were talking to Ukyo about. I thought you two had a bit of a falling out after she helped wreck yours and Akane's wedding."

"Right, Nabiki... But if I remember correctly, it was YOU who sold us out! She wouldn't have even been there if you hadn't tipped her off. Besides, it's my business who I talk to, and when," Ranma countered, taking extra care not to look in Akane's direction when he spoke, "I have known Ukyo for a long time, she was almost a brother to me. That was before I knew she was actually a guy, of course, but... Ukyo is still my best friend in the world, and no matter what she does... I will always be able to forgive her and move on. That's what friends do, right? They forgive each other."

Akane's rice bowl clanged against the table, startling Ranma. Her eyes were wide and filled with confusion and pain. Her face, no longer laced with anger and jealousy, became softer and more relaxed. "Ranma," Akane spoke sourly, standing up and attempting to straighten her face order to hide her dismay, "If you feel so strongly about Ukyo, why don't you go off and get married to HER instead?" Without another word, she smacked Ranma across the face and ran out of the room.

"Oh my..." Kasumi held her hands up to her face, unable to fully comprehend the complexity of the situation before them. An awkward silence filled the room, only broken by Genma's grunts as he helped himself to Ranma's unattended food.

"Ah... Young love," Happosai, who had remained reasonably silent until this point, spoke up, "Reminds me of my younger days, when was young, innocent, adventurous, and full of spunk." It was hard to imagine the old letch as being anything other than old, perverted, and hyperactive. That being said, for him to be any more "filled with spunk" than he already was seemed to defy the laws of physics, in the very least.

"Ranma," Soun Tendo glanced across the table at the confused boy, "Why don't you apologize to Akane? She is a very sensitive girl, you know, and she is still your fiancee."

"I don't got nothin' to apologize for," Ranma closed his eyes and casually elbowed his father in the head while rescuing his rice bowl, "What I said was the truth, and Akane's just going to have to live with it. I didn't say I loved Ukyo, or anything... In fact, I just think of her as a sister. A very close sister... She likes me for who I am, and doesn't try to make me change. I guess Akane just can't understand."

"I suppose you may have a point there," Nabiki admitted, as her face began to curl slightly, "But admit it, Ranma... You did mean to make her jealous, didn't you Ranma?"

"What kind of guy do you think I am, Nabiki?" Ranma snapped.

"Oh, Ranma... Your just too easy to play around with," Nabiki chuckled.

---

Ukyo Kuonji stood before the large mirror in her room, the reflection staring back at her and mimicking her every move. She raised up her right arm, then let it drop back into place by her side before doing the same with her left. The reaction in the "other" Ukyo seemed so... natural, yet also so coerced. Staring at herself, she came to several rather new revelations about both herself, and her reflection. Not only did she have full control of her own actions, she also had full, albiet indirect, control of her reflection. It stood before her, waiting her next command, so to speak, although she felt no qualms about putting it to her own use. Mentally, she placed Ranma in the place of her own reflection, following her every command. Could she bring herself to such a low, to manipulate and draw Ranma after her, using his own personal attachment to herself, as well as his newly-developed mistrust of Akane for her own benefit? Tearing her gaze away from her mirror, and glancing back at her school uniform, she knew what she had to do...

After dressing herself in her deceptively innocent blue outfit, She wandered over to her closet and withdrew the tools she had long made use of, yet now fully intended to put to use in a way she never had before. A full set of mini-spatuala shuriken: sharp, light, swift, and capable of striking with deadly accuracy in the hands of the determined okinomiaki chief. With a gleam in her eye, she tucked them inside a hidden pocket near the back of her dress and turned her attention to the next group of items she would need for her mission. A row of explosive bags of flower, lined up with care and thoughtfulness lay out before her. Quickly, she deposited four of them into her pockets without a second thought. She then walked back over to her dresser, and pulled out the up drawer. Reaching under the shelf, she pulled out a spool of fishing line, and deposited it as well into her pocket. With a sideways glance, she spied the final weapon needed for the task before her... her signature over-sized spatula, which hung against the wall much like a sword or other implement of self-defense. With a slightly conniving grin, Ukyo Kuonji once again faced her mirror and struck an imposing stance, one finger jutted out at the imaginary reflection of Ranma, "Soon, you will be mine, Ranma!"

Breaking away from her own illusion, and a brief glance at the clock that hung in her room, Ukyo snatched her books from off the top of her dresser and rushed down the stairs. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun shone brightly upon her as she ran down the street towards her intended interception location... An almost ironic start for a day that would prove to be both black and unpleasant for the one person who stood in Ukyo's way: Akane Tendo.

---

Drawing near to the pair, Ukyo could distinctly make out the sounds of Akane's routine rant against Ranma. Clenching her hands into fists, she fought the urge to rush out and demand that she apologize to Ranma for her unbelievably atrocious treatment of Ranma, whose only fault lay in actually finding it in his heart to love the self-concieted tomboy. Putting on a deceptively calm and collected face, Ukyo stepped out behind the two and followed them on their way towards Firunkan High. Neither of them seemed to notice, as Akane was much too occupied raving at Ranma and swinging her bag at his head to notice much of anything else, and Ranma was trying his best to simply ignore her and keep his head carefully tilted to the right and out of her reach. A slightly pleased smile crept across Ukyo's face, upon noticing Ranma's irritated expression. Her plan was already beginning to fall into place, even before she had pulled her second move upon the unwary couple. However, things were about to get much, much worse...

---

Ambezua: Keep the reviews coming! Oh, and don't be too disturbed if my editor has me make some minor changes in the previous chapters as we progress... He's just trying to do his job ^_^ I will try to have the "Appendix" for chapter two up soon, perhaps as early as this afternoon. Until next time...


	3. Some Kind Advice

Chapter 3: Some Kind Advice

A shrouded figure, dressed in a dark-green robe which hid its features almost completely, plodded its way across the landscape, pausing occasionally to catch its breath by leaning on a staff in its hands. Each passing step falling a bit heavier than the last and showing no intention of either stopping or resting until reaching its final destination, the figure bravely continued on. With a depressed-sounding sigh, the figure stopped, looked up, and stared at the sky.

"Ranma!" the figure howled, "Somehow, I know this is all your fault! I'm going to make you pay for-" With a slight swish, and a clang, Ukyo Kuonji leapt out of a nearby bush and slammed the figure with her spatula in a upwards swing to the head. A low groan escaped from the figure's lips as it slumped down to its knees. Ukyo reached out with her right hand and pulled back the hood-

"R-ryoga?!" Ukyo gasped taking a step backwards, "Wow, I guess it has been a long time... What have you been up to lately, Ryoga?" She held out her hand apologetically, offering to help him back up onto his feet while considering the possibilities that now lay before her. An old, hardened rival like Ryoga might prove useful in the future...

"Huh? W-what? Where the heck am I?" Ryoga's eyes snapped open as he leapt back up to his feet. As far as he could tell, Ukyo had simply leapt out of no-where and slammed him for no apparent reason. What confused him even more is that Ukyo had been anywhere close enough to him to even be able to speak to him, let alone attack him.

Ukyo rolled her eyes and sighed. The boy's total lack of navigational skills, together with the fact that he seemed to simply appear at both the most opportune and inopportune moments, annoyed her to no end. Still... An ally was an ally... Even if she had to take it upon herself to make sure he didn't get lost again. "Your in the Furiken High courtyard, your idiot... Didn't you even realize that your in Nermia?" Ukyo grabbed him by the shirt and held his face close to hers in order to ensure that he heard every word.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ryoga shouted, a bit too loudly, "I was wandering in the mountains outside Tibet just yesterday! I can't be in Nerima..." Ryoga shook his head, and chuckled, "Why have you been following me, Ukyo? Do you have something to confess?" It was almost as if Ryoga thought she had developed some sort of attachment, despite the fact that he was fully aware of her infatuation with Ranma. Still, that didn't keep Ryoga from having an overly-active imagination, an imagination in which the girls always seemed to go for the strong, innocent, yet kind-types. Over the time that had passed since Ranma and Akane's foiled wedding, Ryoga had developed an over-emphisized sense of his own attractiveness. Perhaps Akari's affections were getting to his head a bit... Which was odd, considering that since she did have a strong obsession with pigs, of all things, almost to the point of a religious sort of attachment. Whatever his reasoning behind it was, if there was any, Ukyo's response quickly cured him of his delusions.

"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ukyo slammed her spatula back down on top of Ryoga's head, "Take a look over there! It's Ranma and Akane." Simply the idea of herself being interested in him, or anyone other than Ranma for that matter, annoyed her to no end. She had a single objective, and no self-deceived jerk like Ryoga was going to keep her from it. "Seriously, Ryoga... Sometimes you can be such an air-head. Get a hold of yourself, will ya?" Ukyo fumed, "Who do you think you are?"

The last strike seemed to snap Ryoga back to reality, even if it was simply a temporary remedy. He peered in the direction Ukyo had pointed out, and easily recongnized the most well-known couple in all of Nermia. "That Ranma... Dragging Akane with him all the way out to Tibet just so that he can be alone and secluded. Honestly, what is he thinking? Wait... What did you say about Furinkan High?"

A large bead of sweat formed on the back of Ukyo's head, "I give up... Get over here and shut up! I have a few things I need to talk to you about." Ignoring his idle threats, flailing arms, and muffled protests against Ukyo "forcing herself" on him, Ukyo grabbed Ryoga and pulled him behind a thick clump of shrubs.

---

Meanwhile, Ranma and Akane, who had noticed the pair's antics, were more than a little amused. "Imagine... Ukyo and Ryoga," Ramna chuckled, elbowing Akane slightly as a friendly gesture, "Who would have thought they would be kicking their relationship up to the next level so quickly? And I thought Ryoga was the shy type... Silly me."

"I thought Ukyo was still trying to get over you, Ranma... Well, as long as Ryoga and Ukyo are happy, I guess that's the important thing," Akane replied with a slight sigh, slightly laced with jealousy. Not that she felt any attachment to Ryoga, but... She almost hoped Ranma would try something more bold, something-

Ranma interrupted her line of thought before it got too far ahead of her, "Wait... your not... Jealous, are you Akane?" Ranma had harbored a secret fear that she would fall for his rival, and the way she appeared sad, almost depressed, only added fuel to the slightly simmering fear. Perhaps considering the consequences of his blatant statement a few seconds too late, Ranma glanced down at Akane to study her reaction. What he saw was as expected as it was painful.

"You JERK!" Akane punched him square in the face, sending him flying into a nearby tree with a loud crash as flesh met bark-covered wood. With a huff, Akane spun on her heel and began to walk away, "Me, jealous... You have GOT to be kidding me..."

"She sure seemed jealous to me," Ranma grumbled, picking himself up off the ground and running after Akane, "Hey! Wait up!"

---

"You got all that?" Ukyo whispered to her accomplice, "After making sure the two of them bicker at school, your going to... Stir things up a bit in the Tendo residence, while making sure Ranma takes all the hits for the chaos. That way, Akane will get upset at Ranma even more than usual. Eventually, it will get through to Ranma that Akane's being unreasonable. That's where I come in." Noting Ryoga's slightly puzzled expression, Ukyo smiled sweetly, "Got that, Sugar?"

"Uh... Yeah, I got it... But why exactly am I doing this for you?" Ryoga scratched the back of his head in confusion, "I thought... I thought Ranma and Akane had confessed their feelings for each other and had come out here in order to... Wait... If Ukyo still thinks she has a chance with Ranma, then that means that... They HAVEN'T confessed to each other, which means..." Ryoga's mind began to wander, perhaps treading on ground not even Kuno himself dared to tread.

A dusky sunset as the backdrop, a slight wind in the air blowing through their hair, and soft, melodic music whispering in their ears: this was the scene that now lay before them. Akane stepped towards Ryoga, her hands delicately folded together and her eyes transfixed on his. She opened her mouth, but Ryoga spoke up first.

"Akane, I don't understand... I thought you were in love with Ranma, I thought you had agreeded to marry him," Ryoga struggled to suppress his inner desires, "I thought-" Akane reached forward and embraced him, softly wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"No... Don't ever say that, Ryoga," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, her every word as clear, beautiful, and distinct as the sky above them, "Ryoga... It's you that I love. It just... It just took me a while to finally accept it myself. Ranma and I... We just weren't meant to be. He... He ran off with the other girls, and... Dumped me like a useless piece of trash! Oh, please Ryoga, love me!" At the stare of her pleading eyes, and caring words, Ryoga's self-control broke down entirely...

"RYOGA, YOU JERK!" Ukyo punched Ryoga right in the jaw, "Come back to reality, will you?!" The pain, together with the fact that Akane as well as the rest of the scene had suddenly vanished, brought Ryoga back into a reasonable sense of mind. "Are you going to help me or aren't you?" Ukyo huffed, turning her back on Ryoga for a moment, "I thought you would jump at the opportunity to get back at Ranma for your suffering."

Ryoga's eyes brightened up at the suggestion, suddenly filled with anticipation of his new mission, "You got it! I'm right behind you, Ukyo!" The prospect of both causing trouble for his rival, keeping him from taking Akane as his own, and possibly winning her for himself proved to be an opportunity too tantalizing for the chronically lost martial artist to pass up.

"Don't worry, I will teach that jerk not to mess around with Akane's feelings any longer!" Ryoga declared, standing tall and firm, his right hand pointed in the direction he had last seen his rival take, while his left hand was clenched and held close to his face, "Ranma, prepare to-" The rest of Ryoga's rant was cut short by a familiar pair of feet landing square on the top of his head.

"And to think I began to believe you changed... Ryoga, you can't even spend ten minutes with Ukyo without trying to pull her into one of your little schemes, eh?" Ranma's slightly amused voice rang quite clearly inside Ukyo's ears.

"R-ranma," Ukyo stuttered, suddenly realizing how vulnerable her position had just become. If Ranma had been able to piece things together, this may well have marked the end of Ukyo's schemes. Fortunately for Ukyo, however, Ranma proved to be less attentive to such details than would be expected of a martial artist. "How long have you been listening to... us?" Ukyo attempted to regain her composure.

"Oh, come on Ucchan," Ranma chuckled hopping down from his perch upon Ryoga's head, "You know me better than that. I don't just eavesdrop on discussions for no apparent reason." Ranma eyed Ryoga suspiciously, bending over slightly to capture a better look at his expression as he added, "but tell me, Ryoga... What exactly DID you have planned?"

Ranma's arrogance and apparently unconcerned demeanor infuriated Ryoga, but he simply growled, "You will find out soon enough, Ranma... and this time, you will be sorry!" Although he may have given Ranma a similar retort many times in the past, this one time Ryoga meant to convey the full meaning of those few words. He wanted to make Ranma feel despondent, unloved, and above all else wretched. he didn't necessarily hate Ranma, but he did intend to make Ranma feel as horrible as was in his power to bestow upon him. What better way to punish Ranma than to use the very one that he loved? The more Ryoga thought about it, the more he believed it to be the most brilliant plan he had ever envisioned.

"Come on, Ranma," Akane grabbed Ranma by his pigtail and yanked it in the direction of the school, "Stop bullying Ryoga get to class on time for a change! Seriously, you need to start taking your education more seriously. There is more to life than picking fights with people, especially if they are weaker than you."

"B-but Akane, you got it all wrong!" Ranma protested, but Akane refused to listen to another word that came out of the martial artist's mouth. She had become fed-up with Ranma's selfish behavior and utter lack of concern for others as she saw it. Akane decided not to stand idly by when he decided to make a scene or otherwise attempt to express his superiority over everyone else.

"Bye bye, Ranchan," Ukyo called as Akane half-dragged Ranma back into the school building despite his protests, adding as soon as she felt certain that he had walked out of earshot, "Today will be the day that we will long remember as the beginning of our long and meaningful relationship."

Ryoga sighed, not exactly enthused over the idea of Ukyo winning over Ranma for herself. Sure, it freed up things for Akane and himself, but it was not his intention for Ranma to simply find happiness elsewhere. Still, he had agreed to Ukyo's conditions so he went along with it anyway.

"Alright Ryoga, do your stuff!" Ukyo reached behind her and held up a bucket of water above Ryoga's head emptying its contents onto him before he could so much as consider bringing up an argument. He cast a sidelong glance laced with annoyance at Ukyo, but he knew full well that he needed to conceal his identity in order for this plan to work. He ran off after Ranma and Akane without waiting a moment longer.

---

With a disgruntled sigh, Ranma eased back into his seat and glanced in Akane's direction. Not only did he receive a rather unconcerned and distant huff from Akane, he also duly noted the way she had actually been stealing a glance at him earlier. It neither entered his mind, nor did it register in his sub-concious, that she might have actually already forgiven him for his earlier behavior. Taking it as an aggressive gesture, Ranma reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook with a sigh. Making a scene after the professor had stepped up to his desk would only result in the two of them having to stand out in the hall holding buckets of water for the rest of the class period. It went without saying it that Akane would be even more upset with him if he brought that upon them. He decided to simply resign himself to whatever punishment she intended to deal out to him after class.

"I wonder what's got her so fired up today. She wouldn't stop arguing with me on the way to school... I bet she's still upset over my comment about Ukyo," Ranma ran back over the event again in his mind, "She must think I like her more, or something strange like that. If she wasn't being so darn stubborn and unreasonable all the time, perhaps I wouldn't have to say stuff like that."

Ranma shifted in his seat, briefly considering if he was taking the wrong approach. What if she wasn't upset about Ukyo at all? "She did mention that I need to take my education more seriously." Ranma briefly considered how Akane might respond to such a drastic change, assuming he could pull it off. The rather icy glare from Akane alerted him to the fact that he had let his mind drift, completely missing the professor's opening remarks. He sighed, knowing full well that if he asked Akane for her lecture notes while she was still in a bad mood, she would likely burn them up sooner than let him borrow them.

Gathering his thoughts together and focusing his mind, Ranma placed his pencil down on the paper and scrawled down whatever bits and pieces he felt were important to the current subject of the japanese monarchy. Although Ranma could not, for the life of him, understand how japanese history could in any way benefit his martial arts, he attempted to pay attention anyway. As long as it helped patch up things between Akane and himself, it might just be worth a shot... Even if she was acting very uncute at the moment.

---

The small, black swine peered around the corner of the main hall. All the doors were shut, and not a soul walked the corridors. The quickening pace of his beating heart being the most significant sound, the timid animal stepped along the side of the wall on the tips of his hooves. The last time he had decided to visit Akane at school, he had nearly ended up as a decorative side dish in one of the Kuno family's lush feasts. Whatever plans the maniacal Kodatchi had intended to put into action during her visit where quickly tossed aside at the sight of the "cute piggy which would make a delicious side-dish for her Ranma-darling." He cringed at the thought of what could have happened to him if the old perverted man, Happosai, hadn't rushed by with his usual crowd of infuriated females. In the ensuing chaos, the small animal had managed to slip out unscathed... Save a few unavoidable stomps from the schoolgirl mob.

Ranma and his "harem" of would-be wives frequently caused trouble for Ryoga one way or another. Wether it was attempting to turn him into some sort of food product for Ranma to consume, or beating him out of the way when the rest of them wanted some alone time with the jerk, they would generally treat him as roughly as Ranma himself would. Why did Ranma get all the girls? According to Ryoga at least, he always acted hot-headed, rude, and selfish jerk to just about everyone, including his fiancee Akane. Honestly, what did they all see in that guy that made him so darn desirable? Was it his rugged good looks? Ryoga doubted it. Was it his strength? He believed he had already proven himself more physically capable than Ranma on several occasions. Was it the pigtail? Well, he didn't know about that...

A low, tolling bell derailed Ryoga's train of thought. The classroom doors slid open, and the occupants poured out in droves. Ryoga's eyes grew wide as soon as he realized that he still stood at the corner of the hall... A particularly high-traffic section of the school. He ducked his head down and zipped along the side of the wall, trying to remain relatively inconspicuous. He stopped for a moment, staring up at the classroom door which had not yet opened, which also just so happened to be the class Akane and Ranma were currently attending. The door slid back and a familiar pair of legs stepped out, nearly landing on Ryoga's head. "OH! P-chan!" the sound of her voice caused his heart to flutter. She knelt down beside him and took him into her arms. Even if he appeared to be merely her pet pig, he saw himself as much, much more. Cuddling into her embrace Ryoga thanked all that was good in the world for these few short moments of bliss...

"Well, whadda know... It's P-chan," the calm, haughty tone could belong to none other than Ryoga's arch-rival, Ranma Satome. He leaned against the door frame and eyed Akane skeptically with his arms crossed in front of him, "Akane, have you ever really wondered why P-chan always seems to stay the same? I mean, come on... Pigs don't stay small like that for over two years."

Ryoga froze for a moment, his eyes growing wide. Ranma did have a point... Apparently, the curse didn't age with his body as he he remained a piglet despite the fact that he had carried it for a significant amount of time. He quickly considered his options, but thankfully for him, Akane beat him to it.

"Oh, so just because P-chan's cute you have to go and get jealous of him!" Akane scoffed, "Seriously, Ranma... You need to grow up!"

"I'm the one who needs to grow up? Remind me again... Who is the one who sleeps with the widdle piggy?" Ranma shot back with a slight smirk.

With an angered glare, Akane squeezed Ryoga tightly, who rubbed his face up and down Akane's arms. The muscles in Ranma's right hand tightened, and the veins running along the side of his forehead stood out. His heart rate quickened, and his legs flinched. Although he fought hard to contain his fighting spirit and remain calm, he knew full well it was a loosing battle against himself. Ryoga laid his head down on her chest, his eyes drifting back towards Ranma with a casual grin.

"That jerk... He's taunting me," Ranma mumbled. Images in his mind of what he might have planned to do to her tonight while she slept trickled in... This resulted in an almost instinctual counter-attack from Ranma, ripping the perverted pig out of Akane's arms and holding it high above his head. Without wasting a second, the small swine bit down on Ranma's hand, evoking an angered growl from the pig-taild martial artist. He thrust his hand down towards the ground, impounding his rival into the floor. Although Ranma had only recently come to terms with his curse, Ryoga had begun taking full advantage of his alter ego almost from the start. Did it stand an an affront to Ryoga's manliness? On the contrary, for it allowed him to get close to Akane in ways Ranma could only dream about... and to top it off, Ryoga could then accomplish his fiendish plot with the anonymity of a mere pet pig. Ranma slightly smirked as he held the momentarily stunned pig in place, considering how generally helpless he was in this form despite the advantages it got him with Akane.

A swift strike from Akane, however, wiped Ranma's triumphant smirk clean off his face. He reeled backwards slightly as Akane stepped up with her fist raised. Anger, disappointment, and distain tinged her expression as she advanced upon Ranma. There was no stopping her when she felt someone had affronted her. No amount of reasoning, nor any physical barrier for that matter, could in any way restrict Akane Tendo from her mission... Dispite the futility, Ranma thought it best to try anyway.

"A-akane," Ranma protested, stepping backwards at the same rate at which Akane was advancing, "Look, there is no need to-" the rest of Ranma's speech was cut short by a devastating blow to the left side of his body, sending him flying out the window. If there was any way in which Akane outmatched Ranma, it was in pure determination and brute strength... She made full use of both of them to send him flying far off into the distant school grounds. The students of Furinken High had become accustomed to Ranma's frequent flights on Akane Air, and the numerous resultant repairs that followed... Needless to say, no one really seemed to notice the significance of this particular fight.

"Just leave me and P-chan alone! I... I hate you, Ranma!" Akane hissed, gathering her pet back into her arms. Ryoga shook his head from side to side, still a bit confused as to what had just transpired after being slammed into the floor. As he began to piece things together, judging by the Ranma-sized hole in the window and Akane's heavy breathing he had a pretty clear idea of how Akane had reacted. He grinned triumphantly. Perhaps this would be even easier than he had originally envisioned. Using Ranma's own jealousy to infuriate Akane worked wonders, it seemed.

---

Akane's cold glares and hot-headed personality following each of their fights was hard enough to live with without P-chan to deal with as well. As if eating lunch with Akane while surrounded by curious onlooking friends after he suddenly appeared on his hell-bent mission to ruin Ranma's life wasn't enough, Ryoga had also managed to steal, in a twisted sort of revenge, Ranma's bean buns which Kasumi had thoughtfully packed for him. During gym class, the miniature menace not only attempted to foil Ranma in any way he could such as standing directly in front of him during his turn on the vault, but also did his best to make him appear foolish and clumsy In front of Akane. Once he attempted to trip Ranma, and twice he nearly bit him in the arm knowing full well what Ranma's habitual reaction would entail. The worst however, was yet to come...

After gym class, Ranma happened to wander by the women's locker room, and spied the little pest edging towards the half-open door. With a signature smile, he slipped inside and left Ranma in a severe state of shock... Of course, he could have simply changed into girl form and followed the swine inside, but given that Akane was undoubtably inside and would pound him into mashed-potato-like consistency if she found him, he reconsidered that course of action. Ranma shook his head and concluded that his arch-rival clearly had the intention to drive him mad by any means necessary.

---

"Ryoga, that jerk," Ranma still limped from where Akane had kicked him in the thigh earlier that afternoon, "What did I ever do to him to deserve this? Sure, I might have been a bit annoying to him while we were kids, and I might stand in his way of fulfilling his fantasies about Akane." He stopped for a moment to rest, adding in a subdued mumble, "As if any of those perverted dreams of his will ever come true." He looked up at the dimming sky and sighed, "Still, Akane didn't have to go out and hit me like that. I just wanted to get that little perv off of Akane, and I couldn't help myself. Seriously, if she knew the half of what I was trying to do for her, perhaps she would be a bit more understanding. But NO... It's my fault. it's always my fault..."

Behind him walked Akane, showing no outward signs of remorse for her deeds, "You were the one who decided to bully P-chan! Why don't you pick on someone your own size for a change instead of bullying the weak. Seriously, Ranma, you brought it on yourself."

Without caring to listen to another one of Akane's lectures, Ranma quickened his pace and limped up to the Tendo residence before his fiancee could continue to berate him. With a slight gasp, Kasumi Tendo watched the battered Ranma step inside and kick off his shoes. This had not been the first time Ranma had come home injured, presumably from a rough episode at school, but she had imagined things had gotten better between him and Akane lately, not worse. It was more the initial twinge of disbelief than anything else that held her in such a state of shock.

"Oh my," Kasumi held her hands up to her face in disbelief, "What happened to you Ranma? You look terrible." Judging from the way Akane showed little or no concern, Kasumi knew full well what had happened. Ranma had done something, and Akane had over-reacted. Pure and simple. Kasumi just couldn't wrap her mind around why Akane would do such a thing to someone she cared so much about... even if she still denied it vocally.

"Nothing at all," Ranma said in a dull tone, "Oh, and P-chan's back." All he really wanted right now was a warm bath and some sleep... Food, especially if he had to sit beside Akane in order to get any, seemed out of the question. Judging from how Ryoga had acted at school, Ranma couldn't imagine trying to eat with that little parasite around.

"Let me get the first aid kit," Kasumi offered kindly, already turning to go fetch it. Even if Ranma refused to take care of himself, she always seemed ready and willing to step in and lend a hand. As the motherly type, she thought of Ranma as the little brother in a way. Despite how hard Akane would be on him, and how rude Ranma would be in return, she cared for both of them deeply and attempted to do her best in order to help them. Clearly, what Ranma needed right now was to feel accepted, and Akane was in no mood to give him any of that sort of attention.

"That's alright Kasumi," Ranma moaned as he firmly grasped onto the staircase handrail and began to make his way towards his room, "I'll just take a bath..." Ranma's mind had no way to reconcile the opposing personalities of the three Tendo girls. Kasumi, the oldest, kindest, and most thoughtful of the three must have taken after their mother who had passed away. Aside from the whole seppuku deal, she seemed to have a similar personality to his own mother. Nabiki, on the other hand, cared for nothing but money and her own personal amusement. Perhaps with a lot counseling and an equal amount of effort on her own part, Nabiki Tendo could be as decent as her older sister. Given that she loved herself for who she was, however, this seemed doubtful.

The youngest, Akane, seemed to Ranma to be as far from her mother as was conceivably possible. If the American government had knowledge of her cooking, it would be classified as a highly toxic waste product. Her temper resembled that of a bear, unrelenting and forceful. her movements were unrefined and awkward at times... yet... Although he berated her looks and personality, he knew full well that deep down (or perhaps not so deep) there lived a young caring child not unlike himself, that he did consider cute in her own right. This "cute" Akane had made her appearance on several occasions... It was this Akane, not the other, which had first caught Ranma's attention. By now, however, Ranma was beginning to doubt within himself wether she really even existed.

Kasumi turned her gaze towards her youngest sister as Ranma ascended the stairs, "You know, Akane... You really need to start treating Ranma better. He's not all that bad and your violence towards him is beginning to create a real rift between the two of you." Placing getting the two of them back into a closer relationship as her goal, Kasumi set her mind on the largest obstacle, her own sisters bad habit of using violence to solve her problems.

"It's not my fault he's such a jerk," Akane huffed, setting P-chan down on the floor in front of her. If Ranma decided to act like a jerk, it was her job to let him know how she felt, right? Perhaps, but was that really why she felt so infuriated at him lately?

"Ranma's actually quite sensitive about these sort of things, Akane, and it wouldn't be wise for you to keep stressing things, " Kasumi continued, "Before you know it, it might be too late to patch things up. Please promise me you will try harder, Akane." Although she lacked the details, Kasumi knew Ranma had lived a hard life with his father while training. She knew full well that he lacked social skills, and didn't really know how to treat women or act kindly to others. All he had grown up accustomed to were constant attacks and arguments with his father.

"Alright, fine," Akane sighed, perhaps she could think things over better with her family without Ranma around to befuddle her mind with his foolishness. She stepped towards the living-room to greet the rest of the family... Entirely unaware what lay suspended right above her as she slid the door before her.

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Ambezua: I know! I took FOREVER to get this next chapter up... I am very sorry, but I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these things. I will try to be faster with my output, but I hope you enjoyed this next chapter in my story. Yes... this is when things start to get REALLY interesting! I should have the next chapter done (hopefully) in a few weeks. Until then...


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